A proposal to sell more Lansing park land will be on the city council’s agenda next week. If approved, voters will have their say in November.
The land would be tied to a smaller parcel that Lansing voters approved selling last year.
Last fall, Lansing voters OKed putting twelve acres of the old Red Cedar golf course up for sale. But the developers who won the bidding process for the land say they need up to four times more land to bring their vision to reality.
The developers outlined their plans to the Lansing city council last night.
Developer Chris Jerome doesn’t know exactly how much land they’ll need. He says the development team is still working on the plan for housing and retail and it may take a decade to implement.
“What you want to do is start with a good idea…and refine it as you go…and that’s what we’re hoping to do,” says Jerome.
Jerome says the development plan will protect the Red Cedar River, which runs through the former golf course.
The Lansing City Council will decide next week if the new land sale plan will go before voters in November.
Lansing voters have proven willing to sell old, unused public golf courses. Earlier this month, capitol city voters approved selling a different golf course on Lansing’s west side.
Also at last night’s meeting, the Lansing City Council came up one vote short of putting a measure on the November ballot that would have hiked the city’s millage rate to pay for sidewalk repair.
City council president Brian Jeffries voted against the proposal. He called it “irresponsible” to push the city’s millage rate to its limit. Jeffries says the decision to spend more money on sidewalk repair should be made as part of the regular budget process.
Supporters of the sidewalk millage defended it, insisting the decision should be given to the voters.
The proposal is not necessarily dead. The city council can reconsider it next week. But to get on the November ballot, the final wording of the millage increase proposal must be in place by August 28th. However, Lansing’s city attorney doubts that there will be enough time to get the necessary approval from the state Attorney General and the governor’s offices.
